1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a laser processing unit for performing perforation with respect to a work in the form of a thin plate by using a laser beam and to a processing apparatus comprising the laser processing unit.
2. Description of the Related Art
A typical conventional laser processing apparatus integrally comprises an XY moving table on which a work is placed, a reflecting mirror and a condenser lens for guiding a laser beam onto the XY moving table and focusing it thereon, a laser oscillator for generating and emitting a laser beam, a control panel for controlling the movement of the XY table and the oscillation of the laser beam, and the like.
However, the foregoing conventional laser processing apparatus has a maintainability problem because of its large-scale and heavy-weight structure integrally comprising the XY moving table, the control panel, and the like.
The large-scale and heavy-weight structure of the foregoing laser processing apparatus has made it difficult to, e.g., move the laser processing apparatus for maintenance or temporarily replace it with an alternative apparatus when it is under faulty conditions.
In a laser processing apparatus adapted to form a plurality of holes in one work at the same time by perforation using a plurality of laser beams, e.g., if the specifications of an optical system for guiding a laser beam to the work is to be changed to increase or decrease the number of the holes that can be formed at the same time, it has been necessary to change the design of the optical system and entirely replace it.
If a relatively large hole and an extremely small hole are to be formed in the same work by perforation, the problem of an elongated processing time is encountered since the focal point of the laser beam is moved along the contour of the large hole during the perforation.
The present invention has been achieved in view of the foregoing circumstances and the foregoing problems can be solved by providing a laser processing unit easily detachable for replacement from the main body of a processing apparatus, excellent in maintainability, and capable of performing an efficient perforating operation and a processing apparatus comprising the laser processing unit.
The technical means for solving the problem according to the present invention comprises: a casing composed of a unit one half portion, a unit other half portion opposed to the unit one half portion with a work insertion space sandwiched therebetween, and a connecting portion integrally connecting the unit one half portion and the unit other half portion to each other; optical means for guiding a laser beam emitted from a laser emission port into a processing area located above the unit other half portion and focusing or/and imaging the guided laser beam thereon, the optical means being provided in the unit one half portion; and a beam receiving plate for transmitting or absorbing the laser beam, the beam receiving plate being provided in the processing area.
A work to be processed by the present invention includes any material that can be processed by using a laser beam such as a tape, a ceramic green sheet, or the like composing a flexible substrate in a semiconductor device or the like.
The foregoing processing includes any processing that can be performed by using a laser beam such as a cutting process, a perforating process, a scribing process for forming a groove in the surface of the work, or a marking process for making a mark composed of a bottomed hole with a depth of several micrometers in the surface of the work.
The foregoing image formation indicates providing a beam shielding plate with a through hole having a specified configuration in the path of a laser beam, causing the laser beam to pass through the through hole of the beam shielding plate, and projecting the configuration of the through hole onto the work.
Specifically, the foregoing optical means comprises either one or both of a condenser lens for focusing a laser beam on the work and the foregoing beam shielding plate for projecting the configuration of the through hole onto the work.
Preferably, the foregoing casing is composed of a stage, a work moving mechanism, a control circuit, and the like and constructed detachably from the main body of the processing apparatus for easy detachment and attachment, replacement, and movement for maintenance or the like.
With the foregoing technical means, the laser beam oscillated from the laser emission port is guided into the processing area, focused, and transmitted or absorbed by a beam receiving plate in the processing area. If the work is inserted in the work insertion space between the unit one half portion of the casing and the unit other half portion thereof, the work is perforated by the radiation of the laser beam.
In a second aspect of the present invention, a laser oscillator for generating the laser beam is disposed in the connecting portion.
In a third aspect of the present invention, the optical means causes the laser beam emitted from the laser emission port to pass through a corrector lens for correcting the laser beam into a parallel beam, causes the parallel beam to be reflected by a Y-axis scan mirror supported by a rotating shaft of a Y-axis rotating device and by an X-axis scan mirror supported by a rotating shaft of an X-axis rotating device, guides the reflected laser beam into a processing area located above the unit other half portion, and focuses the laser beam thereon by using a condenser lens and respective reflection angles of the X-axis scan mirror and the Y-axis scan mirror can be varied via the X-axis rotating device and the Y-axis rotating device.
In a fourth aspect of the present invention, the laser processing unit is controlled to form gang holes.
In a fifth aspect of the present invention, the optical means comprises beam branching means in a path of the laser beam, guides each of laser beams resulting from branching into the processing area, and focuses each of the guided laser beams thereon.
In a sixth aspect of the present invention, the laser processing unit is controlled to form grid holes.
In a seventh aspect of the present invention, the laser processing unit is configured as a flat rectangular parallelepiped having the processing area formed therein as a depressed portion.
In an eighth aspect of the present invention, the optical means is formed in a cartridge case and the cartridge case is provided detachable from the unit one half portion of the casing.
In a ninth aspect of the present invention, the laser processing unit is disposed on a stage detachably therefrom.
In a tenth aspect of the present invention, the laser processing unit and a punching unit are juxtaposed on the stage and a work is processed by selectively using the laser processing unit or the punching unit.